The Life of the Fire
by ameyumechan
Summary: This story follows actual story until the North Pole incident, then it creates a new story in which a new character Nari Korumashi comes in to help Zuko with his plans, or is that her real plan? Warning: this story follows only Zuko until middle of story.
1. Chapter 1 and 2

**Chapter 1**

I was asleep when I heard a twig snap. It was a good thing that I was such a light sleeper. I jumped to my feet and crouched, waiting. In all that I hadn't made a sound. Years spent traveling alone had taught me much.

Movement in the air behind me and to the left. I shouted and threw a blast of fire in that direction. The assassin dodged it and the blast hit a tree, setting it on fire. There was a shout in the distance. I ignored it. A spar grazed my cheek, reopening a long-healed scar. I sucked in air and mentally kicked myself for losing concentration when it could've meant my life.

I dodged the next one easily and sent a fire blast at my masked attacker. He dodged it and it set another tree on fire. I heard movement above me. So there were two of them. They must be getting desperate. Assassins are very expensive these days.

I shot a blast straight up into the air. My blast scorched the back of the man as he drew two longswords and landed next to me. I was impressed. I hadn't heard anything as he landed, and he hadn't as much as flinched when I burned him. These weren't just assassins, they were good ones.

The swordsman charged at me. I heard other footsteps running towards us. How many were there? No, these couldn't be more trained assassins, because they weren't even trying to hide the sound of their footsteps. I dodged the swordsman as he cut at me and, using my foot as a broom, hooked his feet from under him while ducking under another spar. I rolled on the ground so the man's swords wouldn't cut me as he fell. Then I jumped to my feet and kicked another fire blast at the remaining assassin. It hit him flat in the chest and he went down, unconscious.

I turned to the other one, expecting him to be attacking me, but people were already binding him, and he was unconscious. Not knowing what to expect, I crouched into a fighting position and said "Who are you?"

"Who are _you_?" said the man in the front. I crouched lower, ready to fight, and studied him. He had a huge scar on his face that was definitely a burn. Wait, I had heard a story a few years ago. This could only be one person.

"Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation," I said, and his frown deepened. I noticed the short, fat, gray-haired balding man beside him and took a wild guess. "And you must be the great General Airo." I'd heard a lot about these two. Of their banishment, betrayal, and failure. They could really help me. "It's an honor," I said, bowing to them. I had to be on their good side from the start.

The famed prince's frown had deepened as I said this, but Airo seemed as relaxed as ever.

"You know us, but we still do not know who you are," he said casually.

I bowed again and said "My name is Nari Korumashi," noticing something, I added "and you're going to need more rope." While we made our introductions, the assassin they had tied up was now awake and had taken a belt knife out and was cutting away at his bindings. He broke away and ran off into the trees before anyone could do something about it.

I looked behind me, but the other one was already gone. "So you just didn't notice him get up and leave?" I asked, meaning the one that had been behind me, but the prince and his company had already gone after them. I sighed and climbed a tree, and, seeing them from the branches, I leapt from tree to tree after them. If what I'd heard about them was true, then I couldn't let them catch up to those assassins. I just couldn't.

**Chapter 2**

The ship landed and Zuko and his soldiers ran into the woods where they could hear something happening. A spar flashed past them, and he could see the flash of swords in a clearing ahead. He heard a thud and ran into the clearing in time to see a girl running towards a man with a mask and a handful of spars. He saw a man on the ground in front of him. The man was still clutching two swords, even though he seemed to be unconscious. He pointed toward the swordsman and the men behind him ran forward to tie him up. Zuko looked up in time to see the girl kick a blast of fire at the masked man which hit him in the chest, and he went down.

The girl swerved around to look at them. As she did, she crouched down and said "Who are you?" in a demanding voice.

A little taken aback by the bleeding scar on her cheekbone and her soft yet demanding voice, Zuko said "Who are _you_?" She crouched even lower and waited. He studied her. She had black hair that was pulled up into a tight bun, an open scar on her left cheekbone, was wearing earth-kingdom-like clothing, was bare-foot and bare-armed, and was covered in dirt and what looked like soot.

All of the sudden, she said "Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation." He hadn't expected this, and didn't like the fact that she knew who he was. Then her gaze turned to his right. "And you must be the great General Airo. It's an honor," she said, bowing with her palms together. Zuko didn't like this either. How much did she know about them? Did she know about what had happened at the North Pole? He really hoped not.

"You know us, but we still do not know who you are." Zuko was very grateful for his uncle right then. He really did not like to think about that mission.

The girl bowed again and said "My name is Nari Korumashi … and you're going to need more rope." He looked down, and before they could do anything, the assassin they had just bound cut through the ropes and ran off into the woods. The girl looked behind herself, but that assassin was gone, too. He motioned for the others to follow him, and ran off after them. The girl started to say something, but he couldn't hear her. They had to catch those men. They had just attacke3d a member of the Fire Nation, and maybe if he could turn them in to his father, he'd be a little closer to coming home.

The men were almost out of sight. They had to go faster. He picked up his pace. Now they were getting closer, almost close enough to get them with a fire blast. He summoned his energy and was about to shoot when the girl, Nari, dropped from overhead. His blast was going straight toward her, but she put her palms together and pointed them toward the oncoming fire and pushed it aside. The fire went to both of her sides and passed, leaving her unburnt. Zuko watched as the assassins disappeared and the trees thickened.

"What did you do _that_ for!" he yelled. "We almost had them!"

"I just did you a favor."

"And how is that!" demanded one of the soldiers, coming up to the front.

"You'll know soon enough."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" asked the soldier.

"Exactly what I said, or are you deaf?" The soldier's face reddened and he returned to his position in the back.

"What do you want, anyway?" asked Zuko.

"To save you from getting into any more trouble than you're already in."

"How would we be getting into trouble?" asked General Airo, running up beside Zuko, breathing heavily.

"You'll know soon enough," she said again, in that same strange way. What was with this girl? She was so strange.

"Who _are_ you?" asked the banished prince.

"I am Nari Korumashi, I am a fire-bender, and, just like you-" she looked him straight in the eye "-I'm an outcast."


	2. Chapter 3 and 4

**Chapter 3**

'An outcast,' he thought. He stared at her, and everything made sense. The clothes she was wearing must have been stolen. If she were a true member of the Fire Nation, she would be wearing armor or even just a cloth with the National insignia on it. Even he wore that and he was banished.

The girl pointed to the forest behind her and said, "Those men who attacked me were sent by a Fire Nation general." She looked at him again and said "If you had managed to capture them," he didn't like the way she said "if," "you only would have made more enemies."

Airo stepped forward and said, "Thank you, we are in your debt."

"Then may I ask a favor of you?"

"Certainly."

The girl hesitated, as if debating something, then looked up and said "Where are you headed?" to Zuko. Unsure of whether he could trust this stranger or not, he looked at his uncle, who nodded.

"We're following the Avatar," he said. She nodded, as though he'd just confirmed something.

"Then, and I realize that this is a lot to ask, but … may I come with you? I think I know where he'll go next. I know it sounds unlikely, but I've also been following him. If you have a map, I con show you what I believe his strategy is."

It took a minute for this to sink in. Once it did, Zuko took his uncle aside and said, "Do you think she really knows his strategy?"

"If she does, she could be of monumental help to you."

"So you think we should let her come?"

"It's your ship and your decision."

Zuko thought for a moment. If she really did know his strategy … but what if she was a spy –

'And who would she be a spy for?' argued another part of him, 'Your father? Father wouldn't do something like that.' So that left one thing, and he could always kick her off later if necessary. But wait …

"What's in it for you?" he asked Nari.

It was like she had been waiting for this question. She answered without hesitation, "Better transportation and resources. I also hope to learn fire-bending. As you may or may not have noticed back there, my shots are not controlled. I can blast, but I have no real control in the amount or power of the fire."

That settled it. A fire-bender who had no control was a dangerously serious matter. "Go get your packs, and welcome aboard."

I couldn't believe it. I was finally going to learn fire-bending. Not only that, but these people might be able to help me with my mission, and I with theirs. Maybe this was it. Maybe this was what it had meant.

I gathered my bedroll, spare clothes, and throwing knives. I went over to the swords the assassin had left behind and inspected them. As I expected, they were very good quality. I put them back on the ground and climbed the next tree. Again, I had guessed right. The leather sheaths, lined with iron, rested on a branch against the trunk of the tree. I collected them and climbed back down. Then, I put the swords into their sheaths.

I put everything into a large messenger bag and headed back. One of the soldiers met me halfway and led me to the river where the ship had docked. I checked the sky, but saw nothing. I shrugged and thought, 'He knows how to find me.'

I stepped onto the ramp and followed the soldier across the deck and into the corridors. He stopped at an opened door and said "This will be your room." I went in and turned to thank him, but he had left already. I dropped my stuff on the floor and sat on the bed. Rubbing my temples, I thought _'This is all happening so fast.' _This morning I had woken up as I usually did, and now I was on the ship of the banished Prince Zuko and about to learn how to really fire-bend. This was CRAZY!

"If you're settled in, we were just about to have breakfast, and then Prince Zuko would like to hear your ideas."

I bowed, "Of course, General."

General Airo laughed. " No need to bow, although I am quite flattered by the use of my former title." His smile faded slightly at this.

"So, uh, what's for breakfast, sir?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

His smile returned and he said "I haven't the slightest idea. Follow me." So I followed him back onto the deck where I saw a group of men sitting in a circle. Zuko wasn't among them.

"Where is Prince Zuko? Or does he not eat out here?"

"I believe he is gathering all of the information on the Avatar that he has. He should be here in a few moments. In the meantime, please have a seat and Cook will bring our breakfast to us."

"Thank you." I sat in an empty spot on the circle and Airo sat next to me. The door that led to the corridor swing open and a fat man came out with a large pot and a stack of bowls. He set the pot in the middle of the circle and took the lid off. He put the bowls next to it, and took a large ladle out of his front pocket and set it into the pot. He picked up a bowl, spooned some soupy, gloppy stuff into it and gave it to Airo. He repeated this process in a clockwise manner, leaving a bowl for Zuko on the floor. I was last.

I stared at the glop in front of me without drinking it (as the others were doing).

"It's not as bad as it looks," said Airo.

"No, it's not that. It's just that I've never … well, I haven't had anything served to me for a long time. I'm a traveler, and -"

Just then the door flew open and Zuko walked in. He sat on Airo's right and picked up his bowl.

"I've gathered all of the maps and scrolls together. Feel free to use whatever."

"Someone's a morning person … _WOAH!_" yelled the sailor to my left. A multicolored blur had just swooped down and dropped a dead mole-rat at my feet, then flown up to land on my shoulder. I knew he'd be able to find me.

"What _is_ that thing?" demanded Zuko.

"_HE_ is a tropic hawk and one of the last of his kind. His name is Aibō."

"And I think that this would be an excellent time to introduce our newest member. This is Nari Korumashi, and she is going to help us in our search for the Avatar." Silence met the end of Airo's introduction. Aibō was nibbling on my ear. He was hungry.

"Forgive me, but I need to feed him-" (AND get away from these people … I wish they would stop staring at me!) "-He prefers to eat without having to pick off the skin. Sir, do you think the cook would mind if I used one of his knives?"

"Of course not. Would anyone like to show Nari where the kitchen is?" Four men stood up.

"I believe you two are familiar with each other already," he said to the soldier who had led me to the ship. He nodded and motioned for me to follow him. I picked up the mole-rat and did so, stretching out my arm so Aibō could scoot down onto the leather strap on my bicep without scraping me with his talons. He eyed the rat hungrily.

"This way," said the soldier, turning a corner. As I walked beside him he stared at me strangely.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said, quickly turning his head to stare at the floor. "It's just that we haven't had a girl on the ship since … well …ever."

"Let me guess, you've also never seen a stranger sight than a female Fire-bender in Earth Kingdom clothing carrying a dead mole-rat in one hand and holding a tropic hawk on the other arm."

He chuckled, "You read my mind."

Good thing he couldn't read mine.

**Chapter 4**

After Aibō was fed and preening himself, she met the group on the deck just as they were finishing up. Zuko stared at her for a moment. She was so strange. She had a fierce but gentle look to her. He had never seen a tropic hawk before, but it was a large bird and she held him as though he weighed nothing at all. He looked every bit as fierce as she did. Even though her black hair was in a bun, there were many short stray hairs that hung down on her forehead. She had said that she was an outcast. He wondered why.

She came and stood in front of him. "Are you ready?" He nodded and headed back towards the doors, but turned and began climbing a ladder instead.

"Why are you going up there? You came out through the door," she asked.

He looked down. She was still on the ground. "I was making sure that I hadn't forgotten anything. The maps are up here." He got to the top of the ladder and looked back down again. She shrugged and began to climb the ladder, forcing Aibō to take to the air. She climbed at an amazing speed, skipping two rungs at a time. Before he knew it she was standing in front of him, lifting her arm so that the hawk could perch again.

She raised her eyebrows and nodded toward the room behind him.

"Right," he said, turning, "use anything you need. Uncle should be here in a moment." He stepped aside and let her go in first, then followed.

They went over to a table that had four maps and numerous scrolls containing pictures and other information on our query. She went through two maps before seeming to find the one she wanted. She laid it flat on the table just as Airo came in.

"Have I missed anything?"

"No," said Nari, who dropped her arm and allowed Aibō onto the table. Once Airo had seen which map she was using, she began to explain.

"These are all of the places that he's been sighted in, right?" The men nodded as she grabbed one of the scrolls. "And look here, in Omashu he was arrested for vandalism. Do you know what type of vandalism that was? Using their mail system as a giant slide. And here," she continued, picking up another scroll, "In Kyoshi there were reports that he was seen riding along the back of the elephant koi and attempting to ride the Unagi. And here he was spotted riding in the pouches of kangaroos. All of these stories have one common theme. He found a way to take something seemingly ordinary and have fun with it. Do you follow me? Except for a few places where he was actually called on for help, but there's nothing we can do about that."

Zuko thought for a moment, then said, "So you're saying that his strategy is to go to random places in order to do something fun?"

"No. They aren't random places. He had to've planned them out already. You see," she went back over to the map, "even though he didn't move in a straight line, he never backtracked even the slightest bit. You can bet that he'll have planned ahead this time as well. The one issue is this. Now that word has gotten out about the North Pole and everything that happened there, more people will be asking for help. Also, if he's going to defeat your father, as is his mission, he must do it before the comet arrives, and he knows it. So he'll be going in a much straighter line. We also know that he's going to the Earth Kingdom now, because that's what comes next in the prophecy; for him to master Earth-bending."

Zuko let this sink in, and then said "Incredible."

"There's just one more problem," said Nari.

"What's that?"

"We don't know where in the Earth kingdom he's going. However, I've narrowed it down to two places. One, he'll go back to Omashu to learn from his 112-year-old friend, who happens to be the king."

"Or?"

"Or … he'll go to Bah Sin Se. If that's the case, then we'll need to catch him before he gets there, otherwise wait until he comes out, because we won't be able to get in. And by then he'll be headed to the Fire Nation, and you know what'll happen then, so it's clear that we need to get there before him. Otherwise, we might never get him. But, in order to figure out where he'll go, we need to wait until the next report comes, and then we begin, full-speed ahead."

"Brilliant," said Airo, "Thank you. How long have you been working on this plan?"

"Ever since the North Pole incident."

"I should have seen that," said Zuko. "I thought that I had thought of everything."

"No one can think of everything, not even me." With that, she left the room, Aibō flying after her. Instead of climbing down the ladder, she jumped, and Aibō swooped down with a chilling cry.

"Strange girl," said his uncle, and he silently agreed.

"Would you like to show her around the ship?" asked Airo with a slight grin.

"Go ahead, I'm gonna stay up here for a little while."

"Suit yourself," he said as he walked out, humming to himself.

Zuko leaned over the maps. One thought kept repeating itself over and over again in his mind.

'_Who IS this girl?'_


	3. Chapter 5 and 6

**I am SOOOOO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING! My computer's been TOTALLY SCREWY and I couldn't. But I recently started a Yu Yu Hakusho fanfic and finally got the problem fixed. So I hope that you haven't given up on me and I really hope that you'll read and REVIEW!**

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(I've been spelling "Iroh" wrong... oops! Oh well, I fixed it in the rest of the story)

**Chapter 5**

The next morning, Zuko was walking toward Nari's room to bring her to her first lesson. _'She's probably still asleep and doesn't usually get up this early. Well, if she's going to live with us, she's going to follow OUR schedule.'_

He knocked on the door. No answer. Just as he'd expected. He knocked again and shouted, "Nari, it's time for your lesson. GET UP!" Still no answer. Now he was getting annoyed.

He was about to go in anyway when a soldier behind him said "Nari's not in there. She went to the deck about and hour ago."

He stared dumbfounded at the soldier for a moment, then grumbled and headed for the deck without thanking the soldier. Sure enough, she was there, sitting next to the railing with a pad and ink brush.

She looked up and nodded to him. "I've been waiting."

"Uncle will be here in a minute. We're going to start with meditating." She nodded once more at this and went back to her ink painting. Curious, he went and looked over her shoulder. His eyes widened. It was an incredible portrait of Aibō on top of the helmsman's watchtower. It seemed like it had perfect detail. He looked at the real watchtower to find Aibō on top of it, sitting perfectly still and in the exact same way as in the picture.

"It took me eight weeks to teach him that trick. Tropic Hawks are known for their uncanny ability to grasp concepts as easily as humans, if not easier."

"How long have you been doing this kind of thing?"

"Since I began traveling. I found that the easiest way for me to learn about something was to either sketch or paint it. To study the sketches and add new details or notes." She had to be the weirdest person he'd ever met.

"Ah, you are both here early. Excellent," said the general as he came in, "Well then, let's begin. Zuko, continue with the usual drills while I show Nari the proper meditation techniques. Then I will teach you the next drill." He looked at Nari, who had stood up.

"Very well, Nari, follow me. Zuko, get to work."

Zuko stared after them for a moment and remembered that she had never told them why she was an outcast. He made a mental note to bring it up later. With that thought, he went to meet his sparring partners.

* * *

I followed the former general into a room. It contained four cushions, a large emblem of the Fire Nation insignia, two candles, and very little furniture (besides the cushions of course). 

"Have a seat," said Iroh as he himself sat down. I sat on one of the cushions. "First, light the candles … with your bending."

_'Uh oh,'_ I thought. I didn't think that I could even do that. I breathed in and out, trying to concentrate.

"Any time now," grunted Iroh.

I tried to focus and shot a blast from my fingertips. The candle caught on fire … the WHOLE candle. Within a few moments it was a pile of burning wax.

"Interesting," said Iroh, stroking his short beard. "We learn how to do that by the time we're 8 years old."

I scoffed. "That explains it," I said under my breath.

"Beg pardon?"

"Nothing, it's just that I never had anyone to teach me."

"Well, then. Now you do, and we have a lot of work to do." Something crossed my mind. Now I had someone to teach me. Maybe …

No, I couldn't let myself go there. A part of me said _'Remember what happened last time,'_ but another part of me said _'No, that couldn't possibly happen again.'_ That decided, I pushed all of those thoughts aside and listened to Iroh.

After the lesson, I was so exhausted that I went into my new room and collapsed onto my low bed. However, as crummy as my brain felt, I felt as though I was floating on a cloud. I was happier than I'd been in eight years, and one thought repeated itself over and over again in my head.

I had a home.

After eight years of traveling around the world, never staying in one place longer than a week, I finally had a place that I could call home. I could only hope that I wouldn't lose this one, too.

Remembering the past, I searched inside my bedroll, which had a pocket that held all of my past art pieces … and something else. I took that something out now and looked at it. A powerful longing swept through me as I stared at the long-memorized colors and line and shapes that I had been given so many years ago.

It was a picture of my family. My mother stood in the middle, surrounded by nine kids. I stood to my mother's left, while my older brother stood to her right. I was eight years ole in the portrait, but I looked more intense, more mature than my brothers and sister. I remembered each and every one of them. Natsu, the eldest, was always a hard worker and tried to provide for our growing family even though he was only twelve years old. Narihira was the second oldest boy and only a year younger than me. He'd always been the lazy one. He would always try to trick his twin, Noriyori, into doing his chores. Naomi was my little sister, who idolized me, as I was her only sister among six boys. She would follow me around and do whatever I did (which came in handy when trying to get her to eat healthier). Naoki was only four years old and already helping around the house with Mama. Nobuhito was only three and sort of the babysitter for Nobuyki and Naoaki. Naoaki, the youngest and not even a year old sometimes burped up fire (we had to make sure he stayed away from anything flammable). We were all fire-benders except for Mama. She had a different gift. She –

"Is that your family?"

"_What the-!_" I sprang off of the bed and faced the freak. (_How the heck did he sneak up on me like that? I ALWAYS hear them coming!_) It was Zuko.

"Don't you know how to knock! Sheesh, you almost gave me a heart attack. And besides, I though you were attacking me, and I could've hurt you."

He scoffed at this.

"What do you want, anyway?"

"It's time for lunch and we're waiting on you."

"Go ahead. I'm not hungry."

"They won't start without you."

I gave a heavy sigh.

"I'll be there in a minute."

"Now."

"Excuse me but you're not the boss of me. I'm sixteen. I'll be there in a minute," I said, sounding out the words carefully so that he could understand. Zuko was getting angry.

"Look, as long as you're on MY ship, you'll follow MY rules. Otherwise, you're off."

"I was fuming. For eight years I'd been on my own and followed no rules. It would take a while to get used to, but he was right and I knew it. What was worse, he knew it. There was and extremely smug look on his face. I really wanted to kick him where it would hurt most right then.

So, with a glare at him, I stalked out of the room

* * *

Still fuming over Nari (the NERVE of that girl), Zuko was about to leave when he saw the portrait on the bed. Curious, he went over to look at it. It was definitely her family. Nari and the woman in the middle looked almost exactly alike. The little girl standing next to her was definitely Nari. She had changed a lot, but she still looked like she had an air of purpose about her. 

In the picture, though, she looked so much happier, more full of life. She didn't have the scars or well-trained body. And she was smiling. He wondered what had happened to make her the way she was now. Then he thought again about her being an outcast. He had decided.

He'd ask her today.

* * *

At the midday meal, things were pretty much the same as breakfast, except people were more awake and much more talkative. I was being bombarded with questions. "What's your name again?" "How old are you?" "Where are you from?" "What are you doing before dinner?" I gave these questions the cold shoulder. This was why I hadn't wanted to come to the meal. They were really starting to get on my nerves. I glared at Zuko, sitting next to me, but he was pretending not to pay attention. The affect was kind of ruined by the fact that he was obviously trying not to laugh. He wasn't doing a very good job, though. Honestly, I don't really think that he was even really trying. I couldn't take it anymore. 

"GRGRGRGRUUUUUUUUGGHHH! Enough with the questions _PLEASE!_" They stopped talking immediately. Zuko was now laughing uncontrollably. I just barely kept myself from bashing his face him, but I couldn't stop myself from overturning my soup on his head. Everyone burst out laughing. Even Iroh was finding it hard to keep a straight face.

The bowl slid off his head, revealing a VERY annoyed and angry face. He grabbed one of the napkins and wiped the broth off. I stood up, said "I've had my fill," and began to walk away when I heard a screech. I looked up as Aibō swooped down in front of me, then went over and landed on the railing behind Zuko.

'_What's that all about?_' I though. I held up my arm as a signal for "come." He didn't come, but squawked at me instead.

"Aibō, come." He'd never refused a voice command before, and he didn't now. He squawked again and flew over onto my leather-covered bicep.

"What's gotten into you?" I asked quietly.

Iroh cleared his throat. "I think that he wants you to stay here for a while." With that, Aibō flew over and landed by Iroh. I rolled my eyes and said "Whatever," but I was secretly amused by it. Apparently he wanted this to be home as much as I did. I walked back over and sat down next to Iroh and Aibō.

"Happy now?" I asked, and he hopped up onto my arm and ran his beak through my hair.

"I think that's a 'yes,'" said one of the other men, and some of them began chuckling again. However, I could tell that they were a little unnerved by Aibō's strange behavior. I couldn't help it; I began to chuckle, too. I looked over at Zuko to see him looking at me with his eyebrow raised. I shrugged, which sent Aibō into the air for a moment, then back down onto the floor in front of me, squawking and screeching and ruffling his feathers. This was too much. I burst out laughing. Everyone joined in, except for Zuko, who had started looking at Aibō with that lifted eyebrow.

'_What's up with him?_' I wondered.

"Uh, Zuko? Is there something you need to say?" He looked at me for a moment as if trying to make up his mind about something.

"Well?" I prompted.

"You never told us how you became an outcast. You know my story," at this he dropped his gaze, "what about yours?"

Everyone had gone silent and began staring intensely at me. I had known that this question would come up eventually as soon as I told them what I was; I had just hoped that it wouldn't come so soon. I didn't have a good answer yet. I wished they'd all just stop staring at me. I hate it when people do that.

I didn't want to lie to them, but I couldn't tell them the whole truth. They'd never accept me if I did. I looked over at Zuko; at his scar, and a realization hit me. I _could_ tell them the truth … the vague truth. So I did.

'_Maybe this wasn't the best time to ask her,_' thought Zuko. As soon as he'd asked the question, a shadow had fallen across her face. She had started looking at everyone with a mixture of fear, confusion, embarrassment, anger, and something else … pain.

He almost told her to never mind, but he needed to know. Suddenly, she looked at him and said, "Even I don't really know why I am who I am. All I know is that I was punished for a crime that I didn't come; a crime that never even took place.

"My story is actually very similar to yours," she continued, nodding at him, "but … yet … so different. So very different." She said this as though she didn't even realize she was talking aloud. Then, she looked away and, without saying another word, she stood up and walked toward the door to the corridor, Aibō flying after her. She closed the door, leaving Zuko very confused, along with the rest of the crew.

**Chapter 6**

Later that afternoon, I was sitting by the railing while Zuko and some of the other soldiers were going over their new drills. I was studying their forms and quickly sketching them out on a fresh piece of canvas. I thought I had gotten everything: the form itself and its name, the positioning of each leg (one standing slightly bent and the other parallel to the ground in a side-kick position), the arms (in typical defense position in fists in front of the face), and the balance point. The kicking leg was bent at first in the ready position in one diagram, and in the second diagram it extended into the kick, the fire-blast coming through the ball and heel of the foot. I would have thought of this as one of the first things he would have learned until I realized that it was part of a combination and he had to be in a slightly different position in order to get to the next form.

There was one problem, though. He was balanced enough to do the move itself, but if someone caught him off-guard or something else changed, he'd definitely lose his balance. The problem was in his footing. Surely Iroh would catch it.

"Very good, Zuko." Or maybe not. I guess I'd have to say something.

"Um … excuse me, sir."

"Yes?" asked Iroh. Zuko looked at me, clearly annoyed by the interruption.

"I'm sorry, but I think you might've missed something. May I see that one again, with me at the receiving end?"

They both stared at me for a moment, then Iroh said, "Sure," and Zuko grunted. I stood up, placing my sketches on the ground. I stood opposite of him and readied myself. He turned his body and sent out the kick. I easily dodged it and quickly sent a cross-chop blast at him. As I had expected, he lost his balance and fell flat on his behind.

"What was that for!" he yelled.

"To prove a point. Two, actually. First of all, your footing was off, so you lost your balance. Second, you should always be ready for anything, which you clearly weren't."

"Very good," said Iroh, "you _were_ paying attention."

"What … you mean you were testing me?"

"Really, no, but it sounds better."

"Hm," I laughed shortly and disbelievingly. Zuko had gotten to his feet and looked absolutely mortified. He refused to look at either me or Iroh. I felt bad for picking on him, but ha had to learn somehow. I muttered an apology for the interruption and sat down, picking up the canvas again and adding a few notes.

"So what I suggest, as far as the footing is to have your grounded foot pointing out more at an angle instead of being sideways, because then you'll have much more balance and agility," I explained.

"What are you doing, anyway?" asked Zuko, walking over. I showed him.

"I'm sketching out the form and taking notes. That's the easiest way for me to learn something new, as I told you." I watched as a flash of admiration crossed his eyes, but as quickly as it had come, it was gone.

Iroh came over and said "May I?" motioning toward the canvas. I handed it over to him, and again I saw admiration. This time, however, it continued to shine in Iroh's eyes.

"This is incredible. It's exactly what this needs to look like," I blushed, "And it's definitely not a bad likeness of Zuko, either. Don't you think?" he asked the prince.

"It's very good," he said in a toneless, emotionless, unenthusiastic voice. He clearly wanted to change the subject. I felt bad for him, but my mind kept going back to this morning, and that was the last thing I wanted to think or talk about. I looked over the railing to see that the sun was almost gone.

"It's getting late. I should probably go ahead and get everything packed up. Early to bed, early to rise." I hated that expression.

"Didn't we tell you?" asked Iroh.

"Tell me what?"

Tonight's music night. Surely you'll join us."

"I'm not really the musical type."

"If you were, you'd be the first," piped in the soldier who had shown me to the ship that first day, Kyuwa. Some of the other people sniggered and chuckled.

"Maybe I'll just watch."

"Oh, come now," insisted Iroh with a sly look on his face, "you can sing. Sing anything you know." The crew had begun to gather and sit on the deck. They started cheering me on. '_Uh, this can't possibly get any worse,_' I thought.

"I really can't sing."

"Neither can we, but we do just for the fun of it." I couldn't fight it anymore and I knew it. I sighed heavily.

"Fine, but no complaining about headaches."

"Never." Now the whole crew was cheering … except for Zuko of course. I couldn't do it. I couldn't even think of a song. Except …

"This is a song my mother taught me when I was little." I quickly tried to remember the words and the tune. "It doesn't really have a name." I took a deep breath and started to sing.

* * *

The only reason Zuko was staying was because he wanted to see her fail at something. He smirked as he saw her shaking on the "stage" (or rather an empty space on the deck). She'd embarrassed him and now it was her turn. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was a slow and sweet melody, but he'd never heard the song itself before. 

"When the Earth was young,

And time had just begun,

The moon, the stars,

The Earth, the sun,

Lived together

In unison.

Those were the days-

When we were one-.

Those were the days,

When the Earth was bright

Whether ocean-deep,

Or mountain-high.

Those were the days

When water, fire,

Earth, and air

Lived together in peace

No war declared.

Those were the days

When the earth was free.

Those were the times …

Of harmony-.

Those were the days –

The days of old ways –

Those were the times –

When the Earth shined -."

She stopped singing, and Zuko wasn't sure whether to be amazed or annoyed. She said she couldn't sing and yet her voice seemed perfect for the song. And the song itself sounded like blasphemy to a member of the Fire Nation.

Suddenly, everyone began cheering and whistling. He knew she was good, and she deserved the applause. But that didn't mean that he had to clap, too. He refused to give her that

"Perhaps you should accompany her next time with the sunghi horn." Iroh had come to stand beside him.

"Not a chance," he said with a stubborn look. Iroh chuckled. His nephew was always trying to get out of playing the instrument he once loved.

"It won't kill you."

"How many times do I have to say it! I'm not playing that stupid horn!"

"What stupid horn?" Nari had come to stand with them.

"The sunghi horn that he used to actually play."

"You know how to play the sunghi horn?" asked Nari, turning to Zuko.

"Yeah … so?"

"I've always wanted to learn how to play it."

Iroh looked at the two of them; Nari with her eyes shining with hope, and Zuko pretending that he couldn't care less.

"I'm sure that Zuko wouldn't mind teaching you after morning lessons."

"_What!_"

"Zuko, remember your manners."

"I don't have time to teach her how to play!"

"Nonsense, and besides, it would give you two a chance to know each other better."

He saw what was going on. His uncle was playing Matchmaker. The idea made him cringe. He looked at Nari and saw that she'd had the same reaction, but he also saw that there was still hope in her eyes at the thought of learning the sunghi horn. Then he remembered when he'd seen her fighting the assassins. She knew much more advanced fighting moves and they had seemed almost second nature. He wouldn't mind learning that.

"Fine. I'll teach you how to play if you teach me better fighting techniques that you don't need fire for."

She looked up and there was a huge smile on her face. "Seriously?"

He nodded.

"Done … and thank you."

He nodded again and looked at his uncle. There was a very content and satisfactory smile on his face. He would speak to his uncle later. He looked at Nari again and he almost lost his resigned feelings because of the look of pure joy and gratitude he saw on her face. For a moment, he was actually glad that he'd been able to put that look there.

* * *

The next day after breakfast, me and Zuko met in his room for my first lesson. I could hardly contain my excitement. Ever since I was little I had listened to the village musician play the beautiful instrument and had always wanted to learn to play like that for myself. And now I could! 

I sat down and listened closely as he talked, taking notes all the while. He simply told me what the different notes were and how to play them. The key was the positioning of the hand inside the open end of the horn. By the end of the lesson I could play each normal note perfectly, but was still having trouble getting the sharps and flats right. I was frustrated about this, but all in all, I couldn't have been happier. I thanked him repeatedly throughout the lesson.

I didn't, however, forget my end of the deal. After my lessons, I would take him back on deck for his. He was a good learner and caught on quickly. He didn't have any real trouble on anything. I was wondering if what I was teaching him was too simple, but he wasn't complaining, so I kept him working on those things.

A few days later, during one of my lessons, he was teaching me my first song. Something had been bugging me since we started these lessons. Not once had he ever actually played. I wanted to hear him play the song he was teaching me, but when I suggested it, at first he refused.

"Come on, what harm could it possibly do?"

"Why do you even care?"

"Because it'll be easier for me to learn if I hear it played first."

"Will you shut up if I do it?"

"I won't say another word."

And he started to play. It was a beautiful song, and I watched as he slowly sank into it. It was like a total transformation. He had relaxed and closed his eyes and was simply feeling the music. I began to feel at peace as well, but it wasn't just the music, it was the way he played it. I was sad then the song ended. We sat in silence for a few moments. Then I spoke up.

"That was beautiful," I said slowly and softly, as if that feeling of peace would go away if I spoke to loud. "You can tell that you really love to play, so why didn't you want to play it before?"

Silence.

"My mother used to play it to me before she died." I looked at him. I hadn't known that his mother was dead. Now that I thought about it, I hadn't heard anything about his mother before.

"I'm sorry. Believe it or not, I know what it's like to lose a loved a loved one. In fact, I may know better than anyone what you're going through. You'd be surprised how similar our histories are." He was listening intently now. In the past few days, something had developed. A bond between us. The day that I figured it out I was happier than I'd ever been. I finally had a friend. In my entire life I had never had a real friend. No one in the village really trusted our family. We were the only fire-bending people in it.

He still looked like he expected to say something.

"Who did you lose?" he asked slowly.

Silence.

"Everyone. I lost all of them in a Fire Nation raid. My entire village. I was the only survivor."

Silence.

My heart filled with hate at the memory. The betrayal.

"I'm sorry," said Zuko, his eyes filled with pity. That made me even angrier.

"Don't pity me. If there's anything I can't stand, it's pity," I was standing up now and flames were appearing in and around my balled-up fists. Zuko hadn't moved or even blinked throughout it all. I took deep breaths until I had calmed down.

"Come on. We're going to try something new today," I said, leading him onto the deck. "We're going to see what you've learned so far and if you can use them well in combat. I'll be your sparring partner." We were on the deck now. "You can only use what you've learned from me so far. I, however, will have no limit, so be prepared for anything and everything. Pay close attention to which style I'm using, because I will be using one of the ones that I taught you yesterday. Are you ready?" We were standing opposite each other now, in fighting positions. He nodded, and we began to circle.

I made the first move, hook-kicking a blast at him. He dodged it easily, sending another one … two my way through a round-back-hook combo. He executed it perfectly. I shielded and separated the blasts and quickly ran up to him for the hand-to-hand combat. If he remembered what I had taught him about the Genshu style and recognized it by the positioning of my arms and head, he would know to avoid hand-to-hand combat at all costs.

He did. He sent a series of blasts my way through the rapid-cycle of round kicks I had taught him. I noted that he kept perfect balance and kept his upper body perfectly still, only moving his leg for the kicks themselves. I was impressed. It had taken me weeks to get that move perfect. I dodged each one, swerving right and left with speed and precision. I was almost close enough to strike when something hit the ship, knocking everyone to the side. A searing pain in my shoulder followed as a second strike threw me into the side of the boat and someone yelled "We're being attacked!"

'_No duh,_' I thought. I stood up and looked over the edge as a large shape went under the ship.

"It's an eel shark!" I yelled. It hit the ship again and I lost my balance and was thrown over the railing. The last thing I heard before I hit the water was "Man overboard!"

The water surrounded me as I was gripped with fear. I was eight years old again and unable to breathe, move, or think except for one thought that repeated itself over and over again.

_'I'm going to drown … I'm going to drown…'_

I opened my eyes and tried to see where I was. I watched as a dark figure came close and closer to me. It was the eel shark. I tried to scream but only bubbles came out and water came in. I choked as I tried to breathe and my mouth and lungs filled with water. I saw a figure above me, swimming toward the eel shark. It was Zuko. He had something in his mouth, and it shot something at the monster, which then shrieked and writhed and quickly swam away.

Something wrapped itself around my waist. I felt it, and it was scaly and slimy. It was another one. It began to drag me down as I watched a third one grab Zuko and begin to struggle with him. I closed my eyes and fought the one that had me. Soon it let go. I needed air. I couldn't move, but I knew that I would be able to float to the surface.

The shark wrapped itself around my waist again. I started to fight it, but I couldn't. This was the end, and I knew it. I felt life slipping away. I blacked out.

* * *

As soon as he saw Nari fall over the railing, Zuko struggled to his feet and ran over to the railing. He was about to jump in when one of his soldiers called his name and threw him a weapon. He caught it and dove in. Immediately he spotted Nari and the creature swimming toward her. He put the weapon to his mouth and shot a dart at the creature's eye. He missed and hit the nose, but it scared the creature enough that it swam away with a screech. He started swimming toward Nari again, who had an eel shark wrapped around her. He aimed to fire at it when another one wrapped itself around him. He pressed his hands on it and called fire to them, scorching the giant fish. It unwrapped itself from him and swam off. He aimed again and this time hit the monster square in the eye. It was dead in an instant. He swam the rest of the way to Nari, who was floating, motionless, in the water. He grabbed her around the waist and began to swim upward. She struggled weakly for a moment, then went still. He began to panic. He couldn't let her die. He … he just couldn't. 

He was almost to the surface now, Nari limp and lifeless in his hold. He broke through the water and gasped over and over again, trying to get oxygen in his lungs. He spluttered and coughed, spitting out sea-water. A line was thrown at him. He caught it and held on, trying to keep Nari's head above the water. They pulled him in as quickly as they could, but he wished that they'd be faster.

Finally they were on the deck again. He laid her flat on her back and put his head to her chest, listening for a heartbeat and finding a faint one ... a very faint one. The crew was absolutely silent, holding their breath and praying for their newest member. He began pumping at her stomach, one hand over the other, fingers spread. He was desperate.

After what seemed like hours, she jerked and coughed and spat and coughed again. She rolled onto her stomach and pushed up with her palms, breathing heavily with a pushed sound, like it was all she could do to inhale and exhale. Then she lay back down and closed her eyes. This time, though, she was visibly breathing. She was asleep.

Zuko sighed with relief in chorus with the rest of the crew. His uncle came up to him and said "You both need to rest." He was in no condition to argue, so he nodded, picked up Nari's sleeping body, and took her to her bedroom. He closed the door and went to his own room. He collapsed onto the bed, exhausted both physically and mentally, and went to sleep almost immediately amid dreams of what had just happened.

* * *

**Since I felt so bad about not updating, I'll give you the next few chappies too. REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 7 and 8

**Chapter 7**

Later that day, I woke up to the sound of the clatter of dishes and other noises outside. It must be time for dinner. _'How could I have overslept?'_ I thought. I moved to get up but found that my arms and legs were terribly sore and I was soaking wet. Memories of what had happened flooded through my mind. I immediately sat up and opened my eyes to find myself in my room and on my bed. My body protested outrageously in agony of the uncomfortable position I was in. I groaned and winced as I turned so I sat on the edge of the bed with my head in my hands. My head was aching and I began to massage it.

"I felt the same way when I first woke up." I looked up to see Zuko sitting in a chair across the room with two plates of smoked salmon in his hands. The last time I had seen him a shark had had him.

"What happened?" I asked, accepting the plate he held out to me. As soon as the steam reached my nose, my stomach let out a huge growl and I stuffed my mouth as he told me what had gone on under the waves. By the end of it I was staring at him.

"You saved my life," I said softly, "three times by the sound of it … Thank you."

He nodded slowly. "You're welcome." We sat staring at each either for a long time. Then, with a final nod, he stood up and made as though to leave the room, wincing slightly from his soreness. Once he got to the door, however, he said "Genshu."

"What?"

"Genshu. That was the technique you were using."

I smiled very weakly and nodded. He left the room. I sat staring at the door, thinking, _'I owe him, both of them.'_ I owe them everything; my life, my services, and the truth. I would gladly give them the former two, but I couldn't … not yet … but I have to … no, it's too soon … He SAVED YOUR LIFE _THREE TIMES_! But I didn't know if I could even handle the truth. I had denied it for so long.

I stood up, unable to forget my soreness. I had made my decision. I walked stiffly out of the door and onto the deck. My arrival was met by silence and stares. I sat between Airo and his nephew, and as people began chattering again, I whispered to both of them that I needed to the two of them in my room after the meal. They both nodded, and as the dishes were being cleared away and the crew returned to their activities, I led the two of them to my room, preparing myself for what I was about to do.

As he followed Nari, he glanced at his uncle, knowing that they were both wondering the same thing. Would they finally hear her whole story? Over the past couple weeks she'd been giving out bits and pieces, but they weren't able to string them all together.

They entered her room and watched as she rummaged around in her bedroll and pulled out the picture Zuko had seen that first day. It was the picture of her family. She came over and sat on her bed and motioned for them to sit in two of the chairs in the room. They sat, never once taking their eyes off of her.

"I owe you – both of you – everything I can give … and … well … the least I can give you is … the truth." They were staring at her now; hardly even daring to breathe for fear that she'd change her mind. She held out the picture for them to see. "This is my family" – Airo took the picture – "from when I was eight years old. I was the second child and eldest girl of nine kids. My brothers and sister and I were all fire-benders like our father. -" her eyes grew dark as she spoke of her father, "-My mother wasn't a bender, but she had a different gift. She was a seer; she had visions … prophecies … of the future.

"One of her visions ended up being what destroyed our entire village. We were all at dinner one day when she had it. She announced it in that misty voice she always had when one hit her. Everyone fell silent, shocked at what she said. Our father didn't say a word. In fact, he acted as though he hadn't heard it at all. But it was a trick. The next day, he was gone when we all woke up, and only a day later, he returned … with a full army following him with orders to kill everyone in the village. He had even been promoted to the rank of a general for his information. One of my little brothers came back from the stream saying that he and his twin had encountered an army, and that … and that they had killed his twin. As soon as he said this, I watched as my little brother was consumed by flames … he died almost instantly from the shock of it.

"I watched as one by one, my family and my neighbors caught on fire, along with buildings and carts and animals … all burned black to the ground. And then I saw my father come through the trees, aiming at my little sister. I ran to her, but it was too late. I heard her screams as I watched my mother die in trying to save me. I didn't know what to do … so I ran. I ran until I got to the river. I thought I was safe there, but soon three soldiers surrounded me. I would have died then if it weren't for my eldest brother, Natsu, he was twelve, and already one of the warriors of our village. He shot a huge blast at them which distracted them long enough for him to grab me and send us both into the river. That was the last time I ever saw him, as I was thrown onto the shore about ten miles downstream. I walked for two more miles before seeing his sash floating in the water, and I knew that I'd lost him, too. My father knew that I was still alive because one of his scouts saw me washed ashore.

"And so the assassins started coming, and each one bore my father's personal insignia. Two years later, when I was ten, I had already learned many fighting techniques and was much stronger. That was the year I found Aibō. He was only a chick and orphaned. I took care of him and he became my companion, hence the name 'Aibō,' meaning 'partner.' The same continued, day after day, year after year, until we met."

There was a long silence, and then Zuko asked the obvious question.

"What was the prophecy?"

Nari closed her eyes and said "'The Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war, but when it seems that all is lost, six heroes shall arise; the Avatar and his two friends, a decommissioned general, a man who has been betrayed, and the child of a Fire Navy soldier and the one given this prophecy. Together, these six shall conquer the Fire Nation and return the world to its former peace, ending the war forevermore.'" She opened her eyes and said "Aang is the Avatar; the water-bender and her brother who travel with him are the two friends; Airo is the decommissioned general; Zuko is the man who was betrayed; and I am the child of the Fire Navy soldier and the prophet."

Silence.

"I owed you the truth and there it is. But I still owe you so much more. Both of you have given me more than I've ever had. Airo, you're like the loving and caring father I never had and always wanted. Zuko, you're the first friend I've ever had in my entire life, even before the raid. At least, I don't know if you consider us friends, but I know that I always will." Her face had taken on that look one gets when unsuccessfully trying to suppress tears. Zuko had never heard such a sad story. She got up and left the room.

"General Kotaro," snarled his uncle.

"What?"

"General Kotaro is her father, and his former wife Asami was her mother."

"KOTARO!" exclaimed Zuko in astonishment. He was one of the most famous generals of the Fire Nation for wiping out a rebellious village. But now he could see that there was no rebellion, and was not a hero, but a coward … a murderous coward.

"You need to go talk to her," said Airo.

"I know," replied Zuko, and he went onto the deck.

I didn't care anymore, I just didn't care. I let the tears that I had suppressed … that I never let through for all these years flow silently down my face into the water. It was dark now and the crew was in bed. I prayed that Airo and Zuko would be, too. No such luck.

I heard the creak of the iron door and quickly dried my face, only to have it wet again. I soon gave up the attempt. Zuko came and stood before the railing next to me. We stood in silence for a long time. I refused to look at him. Finally, he spoke.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am. I never imagined that … you just seemed so alive and …"

"I refused to believe what happened. I wouldn't face reality until now," I interrupted, "and don't forget what I said about pity."

"I haven't, but try to see it my way. It's hard not to feel pity when you hear a story like that."

"Then maybe I shouldn't have told it."

"But I'm glad you did."

"And why is that?" We were facing each other now.

"Because," he said slowly, "I do consider myself your friend. I always will."

I couldn't help it. I couldn't hold it in anymore. The sobs came and I didn't even try to stop them. I threw myself at him. He stood there, not knowing what to do. Then he patted my back awkwardly, and eventually returned the hug.

**Chapter 8**

The next morning I was eating my breakfast with the crew. My soreness was nearly gone, but I had a terrible cold. Something kept pulling my thoughts away from all that though.

"Has anyone seen Aibō? I haven't seen him for three days." There was a flurry of shaking heads and dispersed "no"s and "I haven't, sorry"s. I sighed inwardly and looked at the sky as though I was expecting him to be diving toward me with a lizard in his beak. It was a beautiful day and there was a flock of gulls flying by, but no Aibō. I began to worry. The last time he had been gone this long he had been caught in a hunter's trap, and had broken his wing before I was able to cut him loose.

Airo must have seen the anxiety on my face, because he said "I'm sure he's fine."

"No," I said, "he would never stay away this long unless … ah … _ah_ … ACHOO! Excuse me … unless there was a very good reason."

"What, do you want us to look for him?" asked the warrior who had given Aibō his breakfast the past week, Dayu.

"Until we receive word of where he's headed" (everyone knew who "he" was) "we've got nothing better to do. Besides, we're right near a big market and you guys can stock up while I look for him."

"It's still a few days off," said Zuko.

"I know. I can wait until then."

"Well, it sounds like a good plan to me," said Airo, We were originally going to make a stop there anyway."

I sighed with relief. "Thank you."

Three days later, my cold was nearly gone and we were pulling in to the docks. There was a lot happening on the ship and even though I was doing my best to help, I didn't know much about ships or how to work them. I was just getting in the way, so I stood at the bow of the ship, watching the wooden docks come closer and closer. I just kept myself from jumping in and swimming to them from impatience.

Zuko came up beside me. "Don't worry, we'll find him." My only response was a nod. I looked at him, but he was looking at the docks. I was looking at the left side of his face, the side with the scar on it. Was it just me or was it much less wrinkled? Then I noticed that he wasn't frowning for once. I told him so and immediately it returned. I closed the subject right then by talking about how my older brother, Natsu, was almost always in a frown, too.

Ever since I had told them the truth, I felt much better talking about the past and I knew that the old proverb was true. "How can you be healed if no one knows you are sick?"

We were finally dropping the anchor and tying ropes to the dock-posts. I ran down the ramp and drank in the smells of the market, enjoying the un-rocking ground I was standing on. For three weeks I'd dealt with the rocking and rolling of the ship and it was blissful to be on solid ground again.

"Where should we start?" asked Zuko from behind me.

"I don't know … maybe – AIBŌ!" At that second, Aibō had come reeling in front of me, then flew off into the market.

"What's he doing?" asked Zuko, running beside me and then calling to some of the other men.

"He wants me to follow him!" We ran into the market, just barely keeping sight of the runaway bird, running and turning and running and turning. At last, he landed … onto someone's arm.

"Aibō!" I called. The man didn't hear me. I ran up to him and tapped his shoulder. "Excuse me, sir, but that's my friend on your arm."

"Sorry," he said (his voice sounded familiar), "he just flew up to me a few days ago, and … _Nari_!" He had turned around, and we recognized each other immediately.

I screamed in astonishment as he picked me up and spun me around. I was laughing and screaming in complete gaiety. I couldn't believe it. After all these years … And then I saw Zuko. He had his frown on again and … was that? … no, it couldn't be … was that jealousy in his eyes. Oh …

"Zuko, this is my brother, Natsu. I … I can't believe it," I turned to Natsu, "I thought you were … I mean after the raid … I … when I found your sash I assumed … I mean I never even thought that you could have …"

"I assumed the same for you," said Natsu, staring at me as though he were dreaming. "Where have you been all these years?"

"Everywhere, what about you?"

"I pretty much just stayed here. I couldn't bear to leave after …" he looked at Zuko.

"It's okay, he knows," I whispered.

"Oh … well, anyway, I … well I … I buried everyone after I got back. Then, I just stayed in this area until now. I couldn't bear to leave everyone behind." Then he turned to me. "So what have you been doing?"

I stood stock-still. I had completely forgotten … _'how could I possibly have forgotten something like that?'_ … that this was our neighboring village. We were only about a mile from … home. My real home. The home I had run away from eight years ago.

"Nari? Are you okay?" Zuko had come to stand beside me. I looked at him, seeing the sincere concern on his face. Something tingled inside me when he put his hand on my shoulder. I tried to ignore it while I told him what I had just realized.

"I can't believe, after all these years … I'm home in a place that can no longer be a home. Where have you lived all this time? Here?"

"No, I've been living in a village about five miles away, but I come here every week to trade and meet with old friends."

"Old friends?" _'We have 'old friends'?'_ "But, they couldn't have been from our village, because they'd be …" I couldn't say it.

"Dead, I know. And they're not. They're from here. I met them when I went into the village every month to get better supplies, remember?"

"Of course, how could I have forgotten that … so anyway, who are your friends?"

"They live right over there, and I'm sure they'd love company for lunch."

Zuko interrupted and said "We're on our way somewhere. We only stopped to find Aibō."

"_Zuko!_ This is my _brother_ who I thought was _dead _for _eight years_. I am _not _just going to leave after thinking I was alone for that long!" I could not believe that he had actually just said that. But then I was sorry I'd yelled at him. He had backed up a few steps and had such a look of shame on his face that _I was taken aback. I hadn't known that he could feel shame._

_"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking," murmured Zuko, his gaze not meeting mine, "I just need to find Uncle and let him know so the crew won't worry."_

_Natsu stepped in. "There's enough room for everyone. They definitely won't mind. They believe in that whole 'the more the merrier' thing."_

_Zuko nodded and ran off before I could apologize for yelling at him. He had actually looked hurt_. What was that all about?


	5. Chapter 9 and 10

Sorry for the long update. I was in Niagra Falls for a while. Anyway, I REALLY REALLY want reviews, and considering I haven't gotten any yet, either my story sucks or it just isn't been read. PLEASE REVIEW! (Whether you love it or hate it.) Enjoy!

**Chapter 9**

About two hours later, we were eating with Natsu's friend, Bunzo, his brother, Gekko, and his wife, Fumi. The entire crew had shown up and was chattering loudly about Natsu (someone … probably Iroh … had told them about me, and they seemed as excited as I was about finding a thought-to-be dead guy).

We had just sat down to eat with Natsu on my right and Gekko on my left. Zuko was sitting across from me, next to his uncle. Bunzo sat on Natsu's other side with Fumi. It was a feast. There were potatoes, cooked vegetables, roasted meats, fresh rolls and pastries. I'd never seen such a variety. I had a little bit of everything on my plate and was about to eat when Gekko leaned over and said "So you're Natsu's mysterious sister."

I did not like the way he was moving closer and closer to me. Scooting a little more toward Natsu, I replied somewhat nervously "Yes, I am. Does he talk about me much?"

"Oh, loads, like how you always pursued something you wanted until you got it." Oh, _man_. Natsu was so in depth in conversation with Iroh that he didn't notice his best friend hitting on his own sister.

"Ugh," I grunted with revulsion. This guy was a complete slob and looked as though he hadn't bathed … well, ever. He scooted even closer and took a huge mouthful of potato and meat. At least he chewed with his mouth closed … at least as much as he could with a more-than-full mouth. I rolled my eyes and took a bite out of a buttered roll.

Gekko swallowed his mouthful and said "So, would you maybe like to have a tour of the village?"

_'Oh, just GO AWAY!'_ I wanted to scream.

"I've sent it before," I said, refusing to look at him. Can't this guy take a hint!

"Yes, but you've been gone a long time." With this he put his arm around my shoulders. Now I was angry. How _dare_ he touch me without my permission. How _dare_ he demean and embarrass me in front of my family; both new and old. How _DARE_ he!

"Get off of me," I said in a low and dangerous voice through gritted teeth.

"What? You're only here for a very short time. You may as well enjoy it."

"I said, _get – off – of – me_!" My hands were clenched. My voice was still low, but it had a severity that Gekko seemed immune to.

Suddenly he backed away (more like _jerked_ away), a scared and surprised look on his face. But he wasn't looking at my face. I followed his gaze and realized that fire had engulfed my fists. I saw the fear on his face, and almost felt bad. Almost. Oh well, I should probably apologize anyway.

"Sorry," I muttered, making the flames disappear. It was then that I noticed that everyone was staring at me, and Natsu's face had gone white.

"What?" I asked to no one in particular. It was Bunzo who broke the silence.

"Y-You're a f-fire-b-bender?"

"Yeah, so?" I said, then looked at Natsu, and I understood immediately. "Oh no, you never told them that we were fire-benders, did you?"

Natsu said nothing, but just sat there, looking at his empty plate.

"YOU WERE ONE OF THEM! _YOU WERE ONE OF THEM AND YOU DIDN'T TELL US!"_ The explosion came from Gekko, which meant that it was right next to my ear.

"Shut up," I said, but Gekko just kept going.

"We _HELPED_ you! We _FED_ you. We _PAID_ for your _STUPID HOUSE_

And _YOU-"_

"I said _shut up_!" I repeated, this time conjuring a small fire-ball in my hand as back-up. This time, Gekko wasn't moved.

"And isn't it _just_ like a fire-bender to use fire to their advantage!"

"If you had a weapon, you would use it to _your_ advantage, wouldn't you? Otherwise, what's the point of it? _Well!"_

Gekko opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. He was dumbfounded.

"Besides, it's not like you didn't realize that you had a fire-bender visiting." I continued, motioning toward Zuko and Iroh.

"We thought he was okay since he was with you. We didn't realize that _you_ were just as much of a filthy barbarian as _he _is. You don't care about anyone but yourself. You don't care if someone dies because of _your_ kind. You're-"

"_Silence_." I said this in a harsh whisper, and I know that they hear the threat in my voice. Still in a low voice, I said "You know _nothing_ about me. You accuse me of things an actual _member_ of the Fire Nation would be. I have done _nothing_ to you," I was standing now. "_HE_ has done nothing to you," I pointed to Zuko, and I noticed that his uncle was literally having to hold him back. I took a few deep breaths and turned to Bunzo and Fumi. "I'm sorry we bothered you. Thank you for the meal; it was delicious." And with that, I walked out of the house.

After a few moments, Zuko joined me, along with the rest of the guys. We kept on walking, not looking at each other, not speaking. As we approached the ship, Aibō swooped ahead of us and landed on the watchtower, letting out a loud screech.

Once we were on deck, I turned to see that no one had followed us on. Then, I remembered that we had also come to get supplies.

"He had no right to treat you like that," said Zuko, still at my side.

"It's OK," I replied, not wanting to talk about just now.

"No, it's not. One second, he's hitting on you-" so at least someone noticed "-and the next he finds out you're a fire-bender and wants to kick you out. That's not right, he had _no right _to call you a 'filthy barbarian.' He doesn't even _know _you!" He was so angry now that his hands were flaming. I was touched that he was getting this way on my account. Gently, I laid a hand on one of his flaming ones. The fire-ball disappeared immediately.

"It's OK," I said again, "I've been called worse things. But thanks for standing up for me." I took my hand away and walked over to the railing, leaning over it. "I can't believe it. After eight years of thinking I'd lost everyone, and all in one day I find out that I didn't. I mean … Natsu's alive! I never would've even imagined it. Not that I'm not happy … I've never been happier! It's just that it's so unbelievable. Do you think he'll want to come with us?"

Zuko came over to stand next to me. "I can't imagine that he wouldn't. He seemed to be as happy to see you as you were to see him." There's something in that look.

"Would you be okay if he came with us?" I asked.

He didn't say anything . Oh no.

"What is it? What is it you don't like about him?"

"Nothing … it's just that … I don't know. It's fine, he can come."

"No, tell me. What is it you don't like about Natsu?"

"I don't know."

"Zuko-"

"Look, I just don't, OK? I don't know why I don't like him. I just don't."

I turned to face him. "Look, I know my brother, and I know that he would never do anything to hurt me or anyone that I care about."

"I don't doubt that. I saw the look on his face when he saw you. It's like I said; I don't know why I don't like him."

"But it's still OK if he comes with us?"

He looked at me. "How could I say 'no'?"

* * *

How could he tell her? How could he possibly tell her why he didn't like Natsu. He seemed like a nice guy and all. But he, of all people, would know that people are not always what they seem to be. Sure, he had seen the way he had looked at Nari. He clearly still cared deeply about her. But he had also seen the look Natsu had given _him_. He didn't know what it was about that look, but he didn't like it one bit and he knew that the guy was going to be trouble … but he couldn't tell Nari that.

But why did he care so much?

When she and her brother had embraced when they saw each other, he'd felt a surge of jealousy.

Why?

When Gekko had continued to flirt with Nari even after she told him to get lost, he'd felt pure rage and fury. The same when he'd insulted her.

Why?

And just two seconds ago, when she'd put her hand in his, he'd lost all anger, all rage, all jealousy, everything. There'd been only that contact. He'd only felt her hand and his hand. His cheeks were still burning from it. He'd been so thankful that she hadn't noticed that.

But why?

He'd talk to Uncle later. He understood this kind of thing. But in the meantime, he needed to focus on what to do about Natsu.

But he couldn't. All he could think about was the look of hope; of complete trust in her eyes. So he said …

"How could I say 'no'?"

**Chapter 10**

Soon after he and Nari had reached the ship, Iroh came up, saying that he wanted to make sure that Nari was OK. She said that she was, and Iroh went back to the market. Zuko turned back to Nari to see her petting Aibō, and the hawk making tiny clicking noises. He liked the picture they made, with Aibō on the railing, and her absent-mindedly stroking him. He was feeling a weird sensation right then. What was it? For once, he wasn't at all worried about finding the Avatar … and it was bliss. After almost three years of thinking of one thing and one thing only, it was pure freedom to think of something else. Something he _wanted_ to think about. And … he was happy.

She turned to him and smiled. It was crazy what a stupid smile could do to him. "Thanks," she said.

"For what?"

"Everything."

"Oh."

_Oh?_ What a stupid thing to say. But why did he even care about what he said? He walked to her other side, putting Aibō between them. The large bird turned and fixed its gaze on Zuko, continuing to make those clicking noises. Slowly, the hawk stepped bit by bit toward him and put his beak right in his face. What was he doing? Nari seemed to have read his mind.

"He wants you to pet him. He must really trust you; he's never let anyone but me even get this close to him before."

This was awkward. Uncertainly, he lifted his hand and gently stroked the creature's chest. Said bird made those noises again. A look at Nari showed him a wide smile and shining eyes. She moved closer and put a finger in front of Aibō's beak, which he began to nibble. Zuko continued to stroke the bird, but he couldn't stop staring at Nari. But it wasn't her face he was looking at. It was her arm. The leather covering on her arm had slipped down slightly, and he saw something peeking out of it. Immediately he knew what it was, and he couldn't believe it.

It was a scar…

A burn scar.

Nari saw where he was looking and gasped. She started to try and pull it back up, then stopped. She knew it was too late.

"It's a burn, isn't it?"

Refusing to look at him, she nodded.

"I'm not going to scold you if that's what think."

She said nothing, and she still wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked softly.

"I was going to, I really was. It's just … when I told you about my village, I got so caught up that I completely forgot about … this. And there hasn't really been a good time to bring it up after that." She sat down, hugging her knees.

"Now's a good time," he said in that same soft voice, sitting down as well.

No one said anything for a few seconds, then Nari spoke up.

"Do you remember when I said that our stories are very similar?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, this is another way their similar. I got this," she said, motioning toward her arm, "the same way you got that," she waved her hand at his left eye. "Well, similarly anyway."

"How?"

Silence. He waited patiently, thinking all the while what else she was hiding from him.

Finally, she spoke. "While I was trying to run away from the village, my father spotted me and followed. He and two other men are the ones who cornered me at the river. My father was the one who took the shot. It was then that Natsu knocked them away with a blast and threw me into the river. Unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough, so the fire still got my arm."

Silence. Then she continued.

"I guess, in a way, our scars describe who we are. Some people prefer to hide it, to hide their past, who they are. Others aren't able to hide it unless they wear a mask, because the world already knows their story, their past. Sometimes, I'm not sure which freedom really makes you free: the freedom to hide it when you want, or the freedom to not have to."

Silence.

"I know what you're thinking. You're wondering what else I've been hiding from you."

He looked up. He'd been staring at his feet. She said "But I promise that now I am hiding nothing more from you than you're hiding from me."

This kind of shocked him. There was only one thing that he was keeping from her; and that was what he wanted to talk to his uncle about.

There was absolute silence after that. Aibō landed on her lap and she began running a finger over his beak and head. Zuko leaned over and began stroking the large bird's chest again. In return, the hawk nibbled on his finger. He let him. Nari continued to star lovingly at her pet. He never wanted this moment to end.

But, of course, it did . They sat there like that for a while, until everyone same back on deck, carrying numerous items and led by Iroh, and followed … by Natsu. As soon as Nari saw him she transferred Aibō to Zuko's lap, jumped up and screamed "Natsu!" She didn't need to move the hawk, because as soon as she jumped up, he took to the air and glided over to the guest. Zuko stood up and walked indifferently to where Nari and Natsu were conversing. Once he was within earshot-

"They kicked me out," Natsu was saying, "I mean, being a fire-bender and all …"

"I'm so sorry" Nari apologized, "I honestly thought that they knew already."

"It's alright. Anyway, I was wondering if it would be okay if I-"

"-Came with us? Oh, that's perfectly fine with us. Right, Zuko?" They turned to look at him with pleading eyes.

His instincts were screaming for him to say "No, get off my ship!", but he just couldn't. Not with the way she was looking at her brother. Again he asked himself "Why?" He'd as Uncle tonight. But now, the only thing he could think of to say was–

"Of course. Welcome aboard." Unlike Nari, he didn't miss the grin (not the smile, but the grin) that was flashed his way.

* * *

"You're in love," said Iroh in slight humor. They were sitting in Zuko's room, and Zuko had just told his uncle everything he'd been confused about. "You feel defensive toward her, you lost all negative feeling when she touched you, you feel like you can't say no when she looks at you, from everything you've told me it can only mean one thing. You're in love."

Zuko stood there, dumbfounded. "No, I'm not. I think I would know if I felt something that serious."

"No, you wouldn't. In fact, most people don't know at first. And when they do, they usually deny it."

"But she's … and I'm …" But no matter what he said, he knew that his uncle was right. He knew that there was no other explanation. He knew that he was in love.

This was going to be awkward.

Neither of them realized that there was someone right outside, their ear against the door.

* * *

I had never been so happy. My thought-to-be drowned brother was here on the ship with us. Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived. Natsu had talked to me and we had agreed to stop by our family's graves. We were almost there, and I was preparing myself for something I'd thought I'd never have to face…

Home.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Zuko, standing on the watchtower with me. He had just come back from talking to Iroh. I wondered what they had talked about. Probably what to do about Natsu. Did Iroh feel the same way about him as Zuko? What didn't they like about him? Then I remembered that Zuko had asked me a question.

"Hm?"

"Are you sure you want to do this? Go there, I mean."

"… No, I'm not. But I know that I need to." He was looking at me in a strange way, as if trying to figure something out. Did it have to do with Natsu? To get him to think about something else (or rather tell me what he was thinking about), I said "So what did you and your uncle talk about?"

He quickly looked away and cleared his throat.

"Um … just … stuff." Okay, so it was definitely something to do with me and Natsu.

"Like what?"

"A lot of stuff."

"For example …?"

But he never got a chance to give me one because Natsu came up to us and said-

"We're here."

* * *

Well, that's it for now. But I promise to update REAL soon. Maybe even later this week! (winkwink) 


	6. Chapter 6

Hey, I've decided to give up on this story, since no one has reviewed and only one person has read all of the chapters. If you, however, would like me to continue with it, then review telling me so. If I get 3 or more reviews, I will continue. If not, bye bye!


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